U.S. patent number 5,400,772 [Application Number 07/705,115] was granted by the patent office on 1995-03-28 for surgical retractor apparatus with improved clamping device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Minnesota Scientific, Inc.. Invention is credited to Lee Bolduc, Bruce A. LeVahn.
United States Patent |
5,400,772 |
LeVahn , et al. |
March 28, 1995 |
Surgical retractor apparatus with improved clamping device
Abstract
A retractor apparatus having a hollow rod member and a clamping
device is provided. Support members are adjustably secured to the
hollow rod member. The clamping device includes a first member
having a first clamping portion and a second member having a second
clamping portion. The second member is pivotally attached to the
first member. When the second member is pivoted into a clamping
position with the first member, the first and second portions clamp
a side rail of an operating table. A tightening mechanism retains
the first and second clamping portions in the clamping position.
The first member has a passage for receiving the hollow rod
member.
Inventors: |
LeVahn; Bruce A. (New Brighton,
MN), Bolduc; Lee (New Brighton, MN) |
Assignee: |
Minnesota Scientific, Inc. (St.
Paul, MN)
|
Family
ID: |
24832109 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/705,115 |
Filed: |
May 24, 1991 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
600/230; 5/503.1;
403/256; 5/658; 248/316.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61B
17/02 (20130101); F16B 2200/40 (20180801) |
Current International
Class: |
A61B
17/02 (20060101); A61B 017/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/20,23 ;248/316.1
;5/503.1,658 ;269/238 ;403/256,373 ;606/54,55 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Narco Scientific Pilling Division Specification Sheet, Catalog No.
99-3027, Entitled "Pilling Retractor Systems"..
|
Primary Examiner: Apley; Richard J.
Assistant Examiner: Maraglio; Donna L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kinney & Lange
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A clamping device for supporting a retractor apparatus over an
operating table, the clamping device comprising:
a hollow rod member;
a first member having a passage therethrough and a first clamping
portion to clamp the clamping device to a side rail of the
operating table, the first member being attached to the hollow rod
member;
a second member pivotally attached to the first member, the second
member having a second clamping portion to clamp the retractor
apparatus to the side rail, the second member pivoting to a
clamping
position with the first clamping member; and
means for tightening the first and second clamping portions into
the clamping position, the means for tightening extending through
the hollow rod member and the passage of the first member and
cooperating with the second member to pivot the second member into
the clamping position.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the hollow rod member is welded to
the first member.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the hollow rod member is received
within the passage of the first member.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the operating table is covered by
a surgical drape having a sterile and an unsterile side and the
clamping devices support the retractor apparatus on the sterile
side of the surgical drape covering the operating table.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the first clamping portion of the
first member and the second clamping portion of the second member
engage the sterile side of the surgical drape to clamp the
unsterile side of the surgical drape against the side rail.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for tightening the first
and second clamping portions comprises a tightening mechanism
engaging the second member such that the second clamping portion is
pivoted toward the first clamping portion.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the tightening mechanism includes
a clamping knob from which a threaded shaft extends, the shaft
threadably engaging and extending through the hollow rod member
which has a threaded portion therein, and the shaft engaging the
second member such that the second clamping portion is pivoted
toward the first clamping portion as the clamping knob is
tightened.
8. The device of claim 1 and further including a spring bias means
for biasing the second clamping portion away from the first
clamping portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surgical retractor apparatus,
and in particular, it relates to clamping devices that support the
retractor apparatus over an operating table.
It is customary during major surgery, particularly on the chest or
abdomen, to employ retractors. The retractors are applied to the
edges of a surgical incision and pull back the incision exposing
the area in which the surgeon must work. The retractor is held in
place, typically, by being attached to a retractor apparatus that
is positioned over the operating table. The retractor apparatus is
usually attached to side rails located along the sides of the
operating table by some type of clamping device.
In the past, many of the clamping devices on the side rails of the
operating table had to be positioned in an exact location. The
retractor apparatus was then secured to the clamping devices by
various mechanisms to hold the retractor apparatus in place over
the operating table. Since the side rails of the operating table
are not sterile, a surgical drape was placed over the side rail by
either cutting slits into the surgical drape and extending the
supports of the retractor apparatus through the slits, or simply
readjusting the drape around the support member and over the clamp
and the side rail.
Some of the shortcomings of the abovementioned clamping devices are
that they do not allow the placement of the retractor apparatus to
be varied easily in the horizontal direction along the length of
the bed unless slits are made in the surgical drape. Introducing
slits into the surgical drape, to allow the supports of the
retractor apparatus to engage the clamping device presents a
possible danger of contamination from the unsterile surfaces of the
clamping device and the side rail through the slit. In addition,
vertical adjustment of the retractor apparatus is difficult since
often times the clamping device is beneath the drape.
Simply readjusting the surgical drape around the support member
also presents a contamination problem. If the surgical drape is
moved or shifts during the operation, the unsterile clamping device
and part of the side rail may be exposed.
The LeVahn U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,631, assigned to the same assignee
as the present application, describes a clamping device which
clamps the surgical drape to the side rail thereby preventing
potential contamination problems exhibited in the other retractor
apparatuses. The clamping device includes a first member having a
first clamping portion and a second member having a second clamping
portion. A tightening mechanism extending through the second member
and bearing against the first member retains the first and second
clamping portions in the clamping position against the side rail of
the operating table.
Although overcoming many of the disadvantages of the other clamping
devices, the LeVahn '631 patent has knobs for adjusting the
clamping device and for adjusting the supports which are in close
proximity to each other. Accidental release of the support could
occur when the surgeon or assistant only intended to adjust the
clamping device. Likewise, accidental release of the clamping
device could occur when the surgeon or assistant only intended to
adjust the support.
In addition, the knobs for adjusting the clamping device and for
adjusting the supports of the LeVahn '631 patent are located at or
below the level of the operating table. During an operation, the
level of the operating table is generally below the waist-level of
the surgeons. Therefore, to adjust the clamping device of the
LeVahn '631 patent, the surgeon or assistant would be required to
bend over or crouch down in order to visually assure that any
adjustments of the clamping device or supports were done
properly.
The McCready et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,763 describes a surgical
retractor assembly having a support post with a C-type clamp for
attaching the support post to a rail provided on an operating
table. The C-type clamp includes a fixed first jaw member and an
adjustable second jaw member which adjusts axially along the
longitudinal axis of the support post. The adjustment of the second
jaw member is controlled by a rotative screw mechanism extending
through the support post.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a retractor apparatus having a
clamping device. The clamping device includes a hollow rod member
which sustains a support member over an operating table having side
rails. The clamping device further includes a first member having a
first clamping portion and a second member having a second clamping
portion. The first member is pivotally attached to the second
member. The first and second clamping portions engage the side rail
when the second member is pivoted into a clamping position. The
first and second clamping portions are pivoted into and held in the
clamping position by a tightening mechanism. The first member also
includes a passage which extends therethrough through which the
hollow rod member extends.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the retractor apparatus of the
present invention in use, with an operating table and a body to be
operated on upon the operating table, the body and the operating
table being illustrated in cross-section;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the retractor apparatus with the
clamping device of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the clamping device taken along the
line 3--3 in FIG. 2, with the spring being illustrated in
phantom.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, a retractor apparatus 10, together with a clamping
device 18, is illustrated in connection with an operating table 12.
The operating table 12 is of conventional construction. Rigidly
secured to each side of the operating table 12 is a side rail 14.
The side rail 14 is spaced outwardly from the bed and is secured
thereto by a plurality of posts 16.
The clamping device 18 secures the retractor apparatus 10 to the
side rail 14. Preferably, the clamping device 18, in addition to
securing the retractor apparatus 10, will also secure a surgical
drape 20 by clamping the surgical drape 20 against the side rail
14. The surgical drape 20 is a conventional surgical drape having
been sterilized and, when placed on an operating table 12, has a
side which is maintained sterilized and a side which is not
maintained sterilized. The side which is maintained sterilized is
referred to as sterilized side 22 and the side which is not
maintained sterilized is referred to as unsterilized side 24. The
surgical drape 20 is placed over a body 26, the body 26 tending to
be unsterilized, to prevent infection in the area of the
incision.
The clamping device 18 is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2 and
3. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the clamping device 18 includes an
upper member 28 with an upper clamping portion 30 for engagement
with the side rail 14 over the surgical drape 20. A lower member 32
with a lower clamping portion 34 is pivotally attached to the upper
member 28, preferably by a pivot pin 36. The lower clamping portion
34 of the lower member 32, similarly, engages the side rail 14 over
the surgical drape 20.
The lower clamping portion 34 preferably has a substantially planar
surface 38 and a lower beveled edge 43. The upper clamping portion
30 preferably has an upper beveled edge 40. The upper and lower
beveled edges 40 and 43 define a gripping edge that grips the back
corners 41 of the side rail 14.
The lower member 32 pivots to a clamping position about the pivot
pin 36 with the upper and lower clamping portions 30 and 34
gripping the side rail 14 and holding the surgical drape 20 in
place. The upper and lower clamping portions also include an upper
and a lower lip portion 45 and 44, respectively. The upper and the
lower lip portions 45 and 44 serve as stops to prevent the clamping
device 18 from dislodging from the side rail 14 in case the
retractor apparatus 10 is accidentally jarred or impacted.
The upper and lower clamping portions 30 and 34, although
illustrated gripping one surgical drape 20 having a particular
thickness against a side rail 14 having a rectangular
cross-section, can actually grip a plurality of surgical drapes,
each having various thicknesses, against various cross-sectional
configurations of side rails.
A spring 80 provides a biasing force to the upper member 28 and the
lower member 32, tending to bias the upper and lower clamping
portions 30 and 34 apart. The spring 80 preferably sits in a
depression 82 that is machined in the lower member 32. The spring
80 has a lower spring member 84 contacting a depression surface 83
of the depression 82 and an upper spring member 86 contacting a
bottom edge surface 56 of the upper member 28. A loop 90 of the
spring 80 surrounds the pivot pin 36 to hold the spring 80 securely
within the depression 82. It should be understood that although the
present invention has been described using a particular type of
spring, any type of biasing mechanism is within the scope of the
present invention.
The clamping device 18 supports the retractor apparatus 10 by
engaging a hollow rod member 46 having a first end portion 48 and a
second end portion 50. A passage 52 preferably extends through the
upper member 28 in a substantially vertical direction perpendicular
to the longitudinal axis of the side rail 14. The passage 52
extends from a top edge surface 54 of the upper member 28 to the
bottom edge surface 56. The passage 52 is sized and shaped to
receive the hollow rod member 46.
To assemble the retractor apparatus 10 of the present invention,
the second end portion 50 of the hollow rod 46 is inserted into the
passage 52 through the top edge surface 54 until the hollow rod 46
passes entirely through the passage 52. The hollow rod 46 continues
through the passage 52 until an end surface 58 of the second end
portion 50 of the hollow rod 46 is aligned with the bottom edge
surface 56. The second end portion 50 of the hollow rod 46 is
fastened to the upper member 28 at the top edge surface 54 by
welding or other conventional means such that the hollow rod 46 is
fixedly secured within the passage 52. This type of fastening
allows the clamping device 18 to retain the hollow rod member 46 in
a fixed position with respect to the operating table 12 and
prevents blood or other substances from entering the passage 52
between the hollow rod 46 and the upper member 28.
The clamping device 18 is held in the clamping position around the
side rail 14 by a tightening mechanism 60. The tightening mechanism
60 includes a clamping knob 62 and a cylindrical threaded shaft 64.
The clamping knob 62 is preferably sized such that a hand can
comfortably grasp and easily rotate the clamping knob 62. In
addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the clamping knob 62 includes a
fluted surface 63 to allow the surgeon or assistant to grasp and
easily manipulate the clamping knob 62. Although a fluted surface
63 is illustrated, any type of gripping surface may be used on the
clamping knob 62 such as surfaces including knurls, raised bumps or
the like.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the cylindrical shaft 64 includes an
upper end portion 66, a lower end portion 68 and a threaded portion
69. The clamping knob 62 further includes a bore 70 sized and
shaped to receive the upper end portion 66 of the cylindrical shaft
64. The upper end portion 66 of the cylindrical shaft 64 is fixedly
held within the bore 70 by a fastening stake 71 or by other
conventional means.
The cylindrical shaft 64 is enclosed within the hollow rod 46. A
cap member 73 having an aperture 75 therethrough is attached to the
first end portion 48 with the cylindrical shaft 64 being snugly
received within the aperture 75. The cap member 73 caps the hollow
rod 46 to assist in preventing blood or other substances from
entering the hollow rod 46 and to assist in maintaining the
cylindrical shaft 64 in the substantial center of the hollow rod
46.
The clamping knob 62 is situated about the cap member 73 and the
first end portion 48 of the hollow rod 46 opposite the clamping
device 18. The clamping knob 62 additionally includes a recessed
portion 72 which receives the cap member 73 and the first end
portion 48 of the hollow rod 46. The recessed portion 72 is sized
and shaped such that the clamping knob 62 is allowed to freely
rotate circumferentially about the cap member 73 and the first end
portion 48.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the threaded portion 69 of the
cylindrical shaft 64 threadably engages a threaded passage 74
within the hollow rod 46. The clamping device 18 is placed in the
clamping position by turning the clamping knob 62 thereby threading
threaded portion 69 of the cylindrical shaft 64 through the
threaded passage 74. The threaded portion 69 of the cylindrical
shaft 64, when threaded into the threaded passage 74, forces a
lower end surface 76 of the cylindrical shaft 64 into contact with
an upper surface. 78 of the lower member 32. This action causes the
lower member 32 to pivot about the pivot pin 36 with the lower
clamping portion 34 moving toward the upper clamping portion 30.
The clamping device 18 is in the clamping position when the
tightening mechanism 60 cannot be turned further by using
reasonable force.
To disengage the upper and lower clamping portions 30 and 34 from
the clamping position, the clamping knob 62 is turned in an
opposite direction 10 withdrawing the lower end surface 76 from the
upper surface 78 of the lower member 32. Therefore, when the
tightening mechanism 60 is turned to release the clamping device 18
from the clamping position, the spring 80 cooperates with the
tightening mechanism 60 in moving the clamping portions 30 and 34
away from the side rail 14 and surgical drape 20.
In use, the surgical drape 20 is placed over the patient with the
lower end of the surgical drape 20 lying on the operating table 12.
The surgical drape 20, being sterilized, provides a sterile
environment for the forthcoming operation on the patient. The
clamping device 18, also being sterile, is clamped at the
appropriate position over the lower end of the surgical drape 20
onto the side rail 14. The clamping device 18 is clamped onto the
side rail 14 by turning the clamping knob 62 and forcing the lower
end surface 76 of the cylindrical shaft 64 against the upper
surface 78 of the lower member 32. The lower member 32 will pivot
to the clamping position in cooperation with the upper member 28
thereby securing the retractor apparatus 10 to the side rail 14 of
the operating table 12.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, adjustably secured to the hollow rod 46
are retractor clamps 96 and 98 such as the clamping device or
retractor clamps described in co-pending application Ser. No.
07/394,578, assigned to the same assignee as the present
application. In addition, a ring 97 is securely fastened around the
hollow rod 46 to tend to prevent the retractor clamps 96 and 98
from contacting the upper member 28. The retractor clamps 96 and 98
are movable along the length of the hollow rod 46 between the
clamping knob 62 and the ring 97.
Longitudinal support members 92 and 94, which are preferably of
circular cross-section, extend through apertures in the retractor
clamps 96 and 98, respectively. Various surgical retractor
implements can be adjustably secured to the support members 92 and
94. The surgical retractor implements are designed to hold the
portions of the body 26 along the edges of a surgical incision in a
manner as to expose the area on which the surgeon must work.
The entire retractor apparatus 10 is easily adjusted along the
horizontal length of the operating table 20 by simply turning
clamping knob 62 to unclamp the clamping device 18 and moving the
clamping device 18 along the side rail 14. To adjust the retractor
apparatus 10 in the vertical direction, the retractor clamps 96 and
98 are released. The retractor clamps 96 and 98 are then adjusted
and the retractor clamps 96 and 98 are secured to retain the
support members 92 and 98 in a fixed position.
Since the clamping device 18 is on the sterile side 22 of the
surgical drape 20, both vertical and horizontal adjustments are
easily made without endangerment to the sterile environment from
contamination underneath the surgical drape 20. In addition, the
clamping device 18 of the present invention holds the surgical
drape 20 in place over the operating table 12.
Furthermore, both the clamping knob 62 for adjusting the horizontal
movement of the retractor apparatus 10 and the retractor clamps 96
and 98 for adjusting the vertical movement of the surgical
retractor implements are generally situated above the waist-level
of the surgeon or assistant. This allows adjustment of the
retractor apparatus 10 in both the horizontal and vertical
directions by either the surgeon or the assistant while they are in
the standing position without having to bend over or crouch down in
order to visually assure that adjustments of the clamping device or
supports was done properly.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to
preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize
that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *